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World’s Oldest Man is a Brother

At age 113, Brother Walter Bruening, a resident of Great Falls, Montana, holds the current Guinness World Record for oldest living man in the world. In his long life, a major theme is Masonry.

Bruening was born in Melrose, Minnesota in 1896. The expansion of the Great North Railroad brought him to Montana in the early 20th century, where he was raised a Master Mason in 1925, was a founding member of Great Falls Lodge No. 118, and served as master of Cascade Lodge No. 34. Following retirement, he volunteered as a bookkeeper for the Shriners.

In total, Bruening has been a Mason 84 years and a Scottish Rite Mason 72 years.

Representatives from the Grand Lodge of Montana attended Bruening’s 113th birthday celebration in September, and presented him with a replica of the gavel used by George Washington at the U.S. Capitol cornerstone ceremony.

Bruening credits his longevity to remaining physically and mentally active, eating well, and living a life not for himself, but for the good of others.